Don't Eliminate Ethics & Diversity Training for MO Lawyers!

I urge you to vote NO on SB506 (Schroer), a bill that weakens critical continuing legal education (CLE) requirements for attorneys and jeopardizes the legal profession’s commitment to equity, justice, and ethical excellence. This bill reduces the annual ethics CLE requirement from three credits to two and eliminates the vital mandate that one credit address bias, diversity, inclusion, or cultural competency. These changes are not minor—they are a step backward for a legal system that must reflect the values of fairness and equality. Ethics are the bedrock of the legal profession. Lawyers hold immense power over clients’ lives, liberties, and livelihoods. Reducing ethics training from three hours to two sends a dangerous message that maintaining ethical rigor is optional rather than essential. For example, a lawyer unaware of evolving ethical standards in client confidentiality or conflicts of interest could irreparably harm a client’s case. Diluting ethics education risks normalizing complacency in a profession that demands vigilance. Equally alarming is the removal of explicit training on bias, diversity, and cultural competency. Systemic inequities persist in our courts: Studies show that implicit bias affects jury selection, sentencing, and even how lawyers interact with clients from marginalized communities. Without targeted education, attorneys may unintentionally perpetuate disparities. Consider a public defender who misinterprets a client’s cultural norms as dishonesty, damaging trust and case outcomes. Or a corporate attorney whose lack of cultural competency undermines efforts to build inclusive workplaces. Training in these areas equips lawyers to recognize and dismantle barriers—whether in representing a client with limited English proficiency or addressing microaggressions in the workplace. Proponents may argue these requirements are burdensome, but three hours annually is a modest investment for professionals tasked with upholding justice. Law firms, corporate legal departments, and solo practitioners already integrate CLE into their workflows; reducing credits solves no pressing problem. Conversely, eliminating bias training ignores the lived experiences of marginalized communities who rely on lawyers to advocate for them in a system that often fails to see their humanity. SB506 undermines progress toward a legal system that serves all people equitably. Vote NO to preserve standards that foster accountability, cultural humility, and ethical excellence. The integrity of our profession—and the trust of the public—depend on it.